Legend of Grimrock - Reviews @ IGN, Destructoid, Mashable

April 12th, 2012, 23:06

Originally Posted by DeepO
I havenīt got stuck anywhere so far, but not all puzzles or combat situations were straightforward either, and it seems to be slowly ramping up further into the dungeon, which makes me think the last 1/3 of the game might be fairly devious (and that would be a good thing).

I was stuck for awhile at the teleporter puzzle on level 3. Maybe I was just tired, but it took me some time to figure that one out.

One thing is certain.. the "hard" difficulty setting lives up to its name in this game. It's pretty much automatic that my party gets wiped out the first time I walk into an ambush that I wasn't ready for.

I'm also making the game even harder by limiting myself to using the blue crystals only once per level.

Originally Posted by wolfing
I'm playing it, and like it ok so far (on level 4 right now), though I don't like the spellcasting system at all. Thinking of rerolling with 4 fighters (what's the advantage of rogues anyway since there are no locks or traps for them to pick/disarm?)

I agree about the spell casting. I made a fighter, rouge and 2 mages and i'm really regretting it. Trying to remember the right symbols for 2 mages in real time combat is getting really tedious. I thought I heard the game was mod-able, would be nice to get a turn based mod. Or one to just select the name of the spell rather than the symbols.

Otherwise really enjoying it. This maybe the first indie I ever finish.

Originally Posted by sakichop
I agree about the spell casting. I made a fighter, rouge and 2 mages and i'm really regretting it. Trying to remember the right symbols for 2 mages in real time combat is getting really tedious. I thought I heard the game was mod-able, would be nice to get a turn based mod. Or one to just select the name of the spell rather than the symbols.

Otherwise really enjoying it. This maybe the first indie I ever finish.

I couldn't agree more with you. My first party also had 2 mages, I rerolled the game to only have 1. Definitely would prefer it if you could just choose the spell you want after you've learned it (and pause while you're doing it)

Thanks for the replies JDR and Dhruin, your input is much appreciated. I decided to give it a try last night (despite my initial hesitation caused in large part from a lack of experience with the games that inspired LoG, a game priced at <$15 isn't much of a risk). I'm certainly happy I did.

Barely into the first level of the dungeon, I was immediately hooked. I normally hate puzzles, but that's because they are often-times poorly designed, and rather than challenging you with a logical problem-solution scenario, you are tasked with a seemingly illogical, immensely frustrating trail and error/blind experimentation process in order to proceed. However, in LoG, the puzzles I have encountered so far (I made it to level 3 before running out of steam very late last night) have been very well-designed and feel "just right" in terms of challenge. The combat isn't anything particularly special, but it's still enjoyable nonetheless. The importance of movement is an interesting mechanic, and in some of the tougher encounters you really do need to be careful about where you move - accidentally backing one's self into a corner is pretty much a death sentence.

So far, I am very glad I decided to purchase this game. If LoG continues to maintain this level of enjoyment, it just might find itself placed firmly atop my "best indies ever" list. I'm still somewhat early on in the game of course, but I am very impressed by what LoG offers thus far. The atmosphere is top-notch, exploration is meaningful and full of rewarding secrets and loot, combat is enjoyable, puzzle-solving is actually fun, and the overall pacing is great.

If, like me, you don't have very much experience playing this specific type of "old-school," first-person perspective party-based dungeon crawler (OSFPPBDC? I guess that's probably too long of an acronym for this sub-genre ), I fully recommend giving it a try. While the game definitely doesn't hold your hand - there isn't even a "real" tutorial (which is quite refreshing, I might add) - it's been designed in a way that it's not overly difficult to pick up and play. The interface is great, with the option of using only the mouse as a viable method of easily navigating the various menus and WASD+QE for movement. Character progression is satisfyingly meaty with room for creative character builds and different party compositions, but it's not overly complex or convoluted, meaning that you will feel right at home if you have any experience at all playing RPGs. LoG feels like a steal thus far at <$15, and I have a feeling that I will be playing this game for a long time, experimenting with various character builds and soaking in the fantastic atmosphere.

I use two mages, one with earth+ice and one with fire+air and I use spellcasting all the time. I do not find the rune system hard or tedious. Each of the spells I unlocked so far have been useful in their own regard. In some areas I resort to spellcasting alone since I find spellcasting more reliable than hacking (since the game is hard as it is I am forced to put points in defense more than offense, so I do not do enough damage in melee and when facing stuff that deals poison or coughs poison clouds melee is awful).

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